Israeli Election Campaign Centers on Settlement Expansion Amidst Intensified West Bank Activity
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, data published by the Mehr News Agency, quoting Al-Akhbar newspaper of Lebanon, indicates that with the approaching date of the 26th Knesset elections in the Israeli regime, scheduled for October 27th, the issue of settlement construction has become central to the propaganda of Israeli politicians. This development is occurring concurrently with intensified settlement activities and the presentation of new projects and plans in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
The ‘National Bureau for the Defense of Land and Resistance to Settlements’ announced in its periodic report that Israeli officials intend to open a tender for the construction of 2,167 settler units on October 25th as part of the ‘E1’ project between Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. A previous tender was also published before the October 27th elections.
750 New Units in Ma’ale Adumim
The occupying Israeli authorities in occupied Jerusalem are promoting a new settlement project in the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, located east of Jerusalem. This project includes the construction of 750 new residential units. The project comprises a 31-story residential tower with 170 units, along with six other 26-story towers containing approximately 580 residential units, and the creation of a commercial hub spanning about 3,000 square meters.
Opening of Three New Settlements in One Week
As part of new settlement activities, Hebrew media reported that the occupying authorities have inaugurated a new settlement named ‘Ma’ale Arugot’ in the Gush Etzion bloc between the cities of Bethlehem and Hebron. The inauguration was attended by several ministers and Knesset members of the Israeli regime, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Security Cabinet member Ze’ev Elkin, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, and Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Boaz Bismut. This marks the third settlement opened in one week; prior to this, the ‘Makhana’ (Doran) settlement in the northwest of Hebron and the ‘Noa’ settlement in the southeast of Jenin had been opened.
Approval of 747 New Settler Units
Concurrently, in response to the announcement by 12 Western countries regarding trade restrictions with settlements and their call for Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion and settler violence, the subcommittee for settlements affiliated with the ‘Israeli Civil Administration’ has begun reviewing the establishment of three settlement projects in the occupied West Bank. According to a report prepared by the ‘Bimkom – Planning, Rights, and Human Rights’ association, these three plans include a total of 747 settler units in ‘Yitav West’ (northwest of Jericho), ‘Maoz’ (southwest of Jenin), and ‘Adi Ad’ (south of Nablus) on the lands of the villages of ‘Jalud’, ‘Qaryut’, and ‘Al-Mughayyer’.
